Method of producing light weight high temperature refractory products



@i 51S Oct 19, 1965 L. J. DREYLING ETAL 3,213,156

METHOD OF PRODUCING LIGHT WEIGHT HIGH TEMPERATURE REFRACTORY PRODUCTS Original Filed May 6. 1960 (gram/ /l/a//r fofra/ea/ a/e//g wma/10%)@ fie ,4/7 Ce//S ATTOR E YS United States Patent "ce 3,213,166 METHOD OF PRODUCING LIGHT WEIGHT HIGH TEMPERATURE REFRACTORY PRODUCTS Lewis J. Dreyling, East Brunswick, and Alfred P. Dreyling, Freehold, NJ., assignors to Quigley Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Original application May 6, 1960, Ser. No. 27,366, now Patent No. 3,141,781, dated July 21, 1964. Divided and this application Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,855 2 Claims. (Cl. 264-44) This application is a division of application Serial No. 27,366, tiled May 6, 1960, now Patent No. 3,141,781, dated July 21, 1964.

This invention relates to the method of producing light weight refractories or light weight castable products capable of resisting high temperatures and having low shrinkage factors.

The trouble encountered in the past has been the inability to use an air dispersing -agent that will produce an even dispersion of air throughout the mix. It is this inabili-ty to produce the even dispersion of air cells in the mix which affects the insulating properties of said mix, in that the insulating properties are lost since there is more or less freedom in air passage through the ceramic mass due to the character of the voids developed. This loss of insulating properties -is due mainly to ythe cells as such fusing one into the other. The high insulating properties are due therefore to high even air dispersion resulting in low actual porosity and this is only possible by the presence of dead air in the form of discrete and individual spherical cells.

The normal air dispersing or foaming agents now used are essentially alkaline soaps which tend to reduce interfacial and surface tension of an aqueous vehicle, thereby causing the envelopment of air as bubbles. The reduction of interfacial tension causes wetting and penetration of the aqueous vehicle (water) into the refractory ingredients, Ia feature which is detrimental in the preparation and manufacture of refractory products.

It has been with this background in mind that the instant invention was conceived to solve the problem of the envelopment or entrainment of air in the form of individual spherical bubbles resulting in high even air dispersion in the form of discrete and individual cells which when red become dead air cells. The approach to the problem was along a new path, in that the development of the entrained or entrapped air bubbles is done by the combination of a wetting agent and an added ingredient to control absorption and thus prevent the penetration of the water and wetting agent into the refractory material. The result was to reduce surface tension and yet prevent excessive absorption and penetration of the solution into the refractory material surrounding the bubbles.

The solution of the problem was through the development of an organic air cell forming and sustaining compound which may be prepared in the form of a liquid. Said organic compound is designed to function especially well in acid mineral compositions normally used to manufacture refractory products. The organic compound is mixed with the normal refractory filler materials and will cause air to be entrapped uniformly and sustained throughout the mass when mixed in a conventional mechanical mixer. The degree of air dispersion is governed by the percentage and composition of the organic compound used and the length of time of mixing employed. The volume of the mix when suitably mixed in a conventional mixer can be brought up to 3, 4, 5 or even more times the volume of the original slurry started with, and so give controlled air dispersion and volume of mix and thereby control density, insulating values and weight. The organic air cell forming and sustaining compound is Patented Oct. 19, 1965 highly volatile and thus disappears without appreciable residue on tir-ing.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. l is a magnified view of the surface of a light weight refractory product; and

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram used in the making of refractory products.

The organic air cell forming and sustaining compound includes a wetting agent which has controlled wetting power, but said wetting power is controlled by the presence of an absorption control agent which, in addition to being a sustaining agent, acts to control the penetration of the water and wetting agent into the refractory material and thus control and insure the entrapment of air upon agitation. In the following disclosure the organic air cell forming and sustaining compound will be called a cellmaker for the sake of brevity and clarity.

Cellmaker im Percent Alkanol HS 15 Gum ghatti 15 Water 70 Total Notes:

Alkanol HS is ethylene condensate of high molecular weight fatty alcohol.

Gum ghatti is a natural gum land may be secured from several sources.

This cellmaker is designed specifically for acid systems.

A good example of mineral composition suitable for making a light weight refractory product with a fine cell structure and by the use of binders other than the cements and which will resist high heat, is as follows:

The binder in the above example is formed by the reaction of hydrated alumina and phosphoric acid to form mono alumina ortho phosphate. This example is representat-ive of the versatility of the process in which binders other than cement may be employed yand still get satisfactory results. In this example, the Mono-Line clay is added to give additional support to the cellmaker for sustainment of the individual air cells after forming.

The main idea in developing light weight refractory products is to employ aggregates that are resistant to temperatures above those for which the ultimate product is intended. In the absence of available extremely light weight aggregates resistant to temperatures of from 2500 to 3000 F., it has been necessary to develop an intermediate aggregate weighing more than the intended product vin order to compensate for the excessive weight of t-he binder and other materials essential to yield the desired product.

It is now possible to refer to FIG. 1 in which has been reproduced an enlarged view of the fact of a light weight refractory product made by the use of the cellmaker described herein. The air cells 10 are completely surrounded by the continuous film 11 of the air cell producing agent with the controlled wetting and penetration and which in addition sustains the air cells when dispersed in ceramic slurries. The remain-ing areas between the air cells 10 with their film 11 therearound contain the ceramic matrix with suitable aggregates and binders in an aqueous slurry.

In FIG. 2 is shown a llow diagram employed in making refractory products.

The refractory products that can be made as a result of this invention are all in the light weight category and run from 25 to 100 lbs. per cubic foot and will resist temperatures above 2500 F. without undergoing excessive distortion or shrinkage depending on the refractory materials employed. It is evident therefore that the invention disclosed herein is a distinct and new approach in the art of refractories.

In the use of an organic air cell forming and sustaining compound for the production of refractory products, it is proposed to thoroughly mix the organic compound with water and then thoroughly disperse the solution throughout the remaining dry refractory mass, the composition thus being completely mixed in slurry form ready r'or aeration, molding and tiring. This preliminary mixing is desirable because of the small percentage of the cellmaker employed and insures a uniform dispersion of the discrete and individual dead air cells which are later produced during the slurrying and laerating operation. Moreover, the preliminary mix of the organic air cell forming and sustaining compound could be supplied as a commercial composition.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for the production of light weight high temperature acid refractory products of high insulating value, comprising the steps of iirst mixing with water an organic air cell forming and sustaining compound to produce a solution, then mixing said solution with a high temperature acid refractory material to produce an aqueous slurry, agitating said slurry by mechanical means for a suflicient period of time to create a multitude of separate and discrete air cells uniformly distributed throughout the mixture for a desired increase in volume, said organic air cell forming and sustaining compound consisting essentially of an amine type of wetting agent which controls the formation and distribution of the multitude of separate and discrete air cells and an absorption-control agent which sustains the separate and discrete air cells and which prevents the penetration of the water and the wetting agent into the refractory material, and finally converting the mixture by forming and firing into end products free of contamination by completely volatilizing during tiring the wetting agent and the absorption-control agent making up the organic air cell forming and sustaining compound, characterized `in that the organic air cell forming and sustaining compound when mixed with said acid refractory material consists of 15% by weight of ethylene condensate of Ihigh molecular weight fatty alcohol and 15% by weight of gum ghatti mixed with by weight of water.

2. A process for the production of light weight acid refractory products according to claim 1 wherein the organic air cell forming -and sustaining compound comprises approximately 6% by weight of the total mixture before firing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,052,949 9/ 62 Williams et al 264--43 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 584,349 10/59 Canada. 539,022 8/41 Great Britain. 648,299 1/51 Great Britain. 756,672 9/56 Great Britain.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Primary Examiner.

ALEXANDER H. BRODMERKEL, Examiner. 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHT WEIGHT HIGH TEMPERATURE ACID REFRACTORY PRODUCTS OF HIGH INSULATING VALUE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FIRST MIXTING WITH WATER AN ORGANIC AIR CELL FORMING AND SUSTAINING COMPOUND TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION, THEN MIXING SAID SOLUTION WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE ACID REFRACTORY MATERIAL TO PRODUCE AN AQUEOUS SLURRY, AGITATING SAID SLURRY BY MECHANICAL MEANS FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO CREATE A MULTITUDE OF SEPARATE AND DISCRETE AIR CELLS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE MIXTURE FOR A DESIRED INCREASE IN VOLUME, SAID ORGANIC AIR CELL FORMING AND SUSTAINING COMPOUND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN AMINE TYPE OF WETTING AGENT WHICH CONTROLS THE FORMATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE MULTITUDE OF SEPARATE AND DISCRETE AIR CELLS AND AN ABSORPTION-CONTROL AGENT WHICH SUSTAINS THE SEPARATE AND DISCRETE AIR CELLS AND WHICH PREVENTS THE PENETRATION OF 